“God’s grace is abundant,” the refugee pastor said. His answer to the Refuge and Hope International team’s question was baffling.

He faces many challenges as the head of a 21-member household and pastor of a small South Sudanese congregation in Bidi Bidi, the largest refugee settlement in the world. However, when asked how he makes ends meet, he joyfully proclaimed God’s provision is ample.

He is one of 278,480 refugees who resides in Bidi Bidi, according to statistics from the Uganda Office of the Prime Minister.

He was trained as a professional chef and started taking Bible classes at a Bible school where he catered.

He and his wife fled their war-torn country last year, bringing their eight biological children and 11 adopted children with them.

On the way, officials interrogated the pastor, asking him if he was taking the children to train them as child soldiers, a sad but common reality in South Sudan.

“I told them the children were in a school,” he recalled. “They let me pass.”

When the family arrived in Northern Uganda last summer, they started meeting under a tree nearby their home on Sundays for worship. They sang and shared their faith. Others joined.

The fellowship has grown to about 300 in attendance. A women’s ministry and youth group have formed, as well.

Life is safer in Bidi Bidi, but not necessarily easier. Hardships of the past and present haunt the minds of many.

“Without prayer, talking to people and encouraging them, we feel the mind will get worse,” the pastor commented.

Psycho-social support is interwoven in services made possible by the Office of the Prime Minister, but there are no independent psychological services in the settlement. Refugees have started their own faith communities, which have become social networks of support.

In Zone 1, the first of five zones in Bidi Bidi, an interdenominational committee of 20 different churches gathers. The church is part of this co-op.

Despite this support group, there are limited faith resources within the settlement. The refugee pastor noted the biggest need they have is access to Bibles.

Although he and his family live in abject poverty, the joy of the Lord is evident in his life.

“Christmas is going to be really good this year,” he reflected positively. “We will sing and dance.”

Jaclyn Bonner, a May 2017 graduate of Howard Payne University, served through Go Now Missions as a student missionary in Uganda, working with Refuge and Hope International

“Marina, why do we have to do math? My brain can’t handle too much math,” Atlehang whined. “We always do math.”

Atlehang is 13 years old, and she has been living in Restoring Hope Village more than six years. This young lady is one of the people who has impacted me the most during my time in South Africa. Knowing her past and seeing where she is right now, I can see how God is working in her. When she arrived, she was in very bad condition. But with care and love, now she is a healthy young girl with new vision and purpose for life.

She was one of the first girls who came to me and asked me questions about my life when I arrived at Restoring Hope Village. She asked me if I came from India. Even though I told her “no” several times, she still asked me if I know how to speak Hindi and dance.

Soon after I arrived, I was talking with a friend back home in Spanish. Atlehang came by and overheard our conversation. Her face registered amazement. She was intrigued at how I was speaking to my friend, and she stayed to listen to my whole conversation. Then she asked my friend to sing to her in Spanish. I’ve been praying to have more opportunities with kids to get to to know them better, and God has given me more opportunities to know Atlehang.

About two weeks ago, I learned Atlehang’s story. If you met this young and beautiful girl, you would realize she is full of life, joy and the Spirit of God. You would never imagine what she went through, based on the way she is living her life right now. Any time I see her, she has a big smile on her face, trying to make others smile and see the good side of life.

I’m working with her, helping with her homework in math and reading—especially with math, because she has been struggling a lot with math. She is in fifth grade, but her math skills are at a second-grade level. There are times she makes me laugh with all the comments she makes, because she is tired of doing math. We work with other things too, but we focus more on math.

God not only gave me the opportunity to help with her with her schoolwork, but also to spend more time with her, and I’m praying God will use me to guide her closer to him. The more I know her the more I admire this girl. She wants to travel the world and become a missionary. I believe she would be a great missionary. I’m really excited about what God has for her.

If she hadn’t let Jesus Christ enter on her heart, there would be a different Atlehang—a very grumpy, cold-hearted troublemaker. I would be so worried about her, and my prayers for her would be so different.

Right now, Atlehang is challenging me to depend more on God and try to see things from a different perspective. I’m so thankful God put this amazing young girl in my life. Thanks to her, I started to see that our God is bigger that I imagined, and I’m in falling more in love with him.

Marina Vega, a student at Texas A&M University, is serving as a semester missionary in South Africa with Go Now Missions.

In John’s Gospel, we read about the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus. Most of what’s focused on is how Jesus rescued her from sexual sin, and rightfully so. But have you ever stopped to think about why Samaria? Why that woman?

I spent the summer in the Middle East and met a friend who drew me back to this story over and over again. She was beautiful and kind, eclipsing all the generosity the region is known for. One evening, she invited two friends and me to iftar, the evening breaking of fast during Ramadan.

After eating we sat around playing with her toddler brother and chatting. I asked her what her greatest dream in life was, and the answer was more eye opening than I could have anticipated. She talked about traveling and getting her master’s degree. Her eyes shone as she smiled and spoke of her dreams.

But then it was like a switch flipped. She said she would get married in the next few years, and children would bring happiness. My heart broke a little. Her eyes and face had faded back to normal as she spoke of marriage. She had these beautiful dreams for her life, but she was struggling to reconcile them with her identity as a Muslim and the duties that come with it. She could not find peace in who she was and what she desired out of life. 

As I prepared for this mission trip, I constantly was asked, ‘Why the Middle East?’ Of course, it was easy to say, “Well, God said ‘go,” so I’m going.” But at the end of the summer, my answer has changed a bit.

My conversation with my Muslim friend was not super-spiritual or gospel-oriented in its intention, but I realized the depth and reality of her lostness. She was made in the image of the Creator to worship and glorify God, and her identity will never be at peace apart from him. The reality of the lostness of the Middle East was undeniable, and after looking at it straight in the face, there was no way I could ignore it.  

When Jesus went to Samaria, he probably got the same kind of question: Why Samaria? Respectable people, especially Jews, never went to Samaria. But when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, he never let her sin define her. He looked full into the face of her sin and offered salvation. He understood that she, and all of Samaria, was lost, and the only remedy was himself.

So, why the Middle East? Why Muslims? Because they are lost. My friend was my woman at the well. She was the first time I truly understood the depth of lostness and the urgency for the gospel, for her and the Middle East. So that is why I went, and it is why I will return: They are lost. 

Madi is a University of Houston student who spent the summer serving in the Middle East with Go Now Missions. Her last name is withheld for security reasons.

When I went off to college, I learned the important skill of investing in people. Through multiple interventions by God, I finally started investing time in children. This summer has been full of investing in children, and God really has shown me lately how important it is. Investing in all people is important and needed, and we should definitely do that with people of all races, nationalities and ages. But when we invest in children, we get to be a part of building their foundation and building their frame of reference.

Preschoolers in Tahoe City, Calif., learn simple but profound lessons about God’s love for them. (Go Now Missions Photo)Recently, my missions partner was teaching about God’s love. This is the basic message we are trying to convey throughout the summer, and she has been knocking it out of the park. At one point, she posed the question to the class, “Do you know how much God loves you?” Without skipping a beat, one girl said, “I know God loves us so much he knows the number of hairs on our head!” Soon after, another girl said: “I remember that! I tell myself that every day!” Keep in mind, these kids just graduated from preschool. Also, many of them only hear about Jesus and God here, but it stuck with them, and they know it to be true because someone took the time to invest in them. 

Here is another example of investing in children. I had the opportunity to babysit two adorable kids on a recent Wednesday night. The older child is one of our preschoolers. She’s around age 4, and her brother is about a year old. About the time I was putting the older one to bed, her brother woke up crying. I could not get him to stop crying, even though I changed his diaper, gave him a bottle and walked him around the house. So, the next thing I could think to do was to just hold him, pray over him, speak Scripture to him, and sing “Jesus Loves Me” over and over and over again. About 10 minutes later, the older child walked into his room, stood next to him, and started telling him how much Jesus loves him. This not only absolutely melted my heart, but also finally got the baby to stop crying. The things she said to him are things she learned here in the preschool. She knew it to be true, because someone took the time to invest time into her life. 

Taking time to invest in someone else is so important. If you are investing in someone’s life, please continue to do so and do not give up. Even though you may not see it, you are making a huge impact in their lives that will carry with them. If you are not investing in someone else, I challenge you to start praying about it to see if God has placed someone in your life for that reason. It will be worth it.

Jenifer Wilkes, a student at Tarleton State University, is serving through Go Now Missions with a children’s ministry at First Baptist Church in Tahoe City, Calif.

We have been “yala-yala”-ing a lot for a couple of weeks. That’s the local word meaning to walk around leisurely and talk to everyone you encounter to show them they are important to you. They do this a lot. So, now we have become more a part of their community, and we get to do it as well, and it affords us the opportunity to tell stories about Jesus.

Day-in and day-out visiting with villagers in West Africa gives Rachel Scott the opportunity to show the love of Christ. (Go Now Missions Photo)One evening, we were making a circuit of the compounds at the far end of our village. We left one compound after an hour and a half talking, feeling really discouraged. We want them to know the truth so badly. It seems like they’re trying to understand, but something is in the way. As we walked through another compound after this encounter, we stopped to talk at an old woman’s house. Soon, a large crowd gathered around us, including two of her nephews who were visiting from the city to help plant during the rainy season. One son was very interested as we told the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, asking many questions and wanting to know more. The other son didn’t say much but quietly listened behind us. We left feeling slightly more encouraged as the first son promised he would come later to talk more. 

But this evening proved to be a real emotional roller coaster as we went to the chief’s house. We have told him several stories and presented the gospel several times before this. He always told us to come back and talk more, and little by little, he could think about becoming a Christian. Well, it seems he finally became comfortable enough to tell us that he was never going to become Christian. Even though he really enjoyed our stories and couldn’t deny the truth of who Jesus is, he is in charge of a Muslim village and must lead his people accordingly. This is especially crushing, because the collective culture of the village means the people will follow the will of the group, and in most instances, the will of the chief. Several times we’ve heard people say: “I like this Jesus person. So, if the chief becomes Christian, I will become Christian.” The only thing that we could find solace in at this point was knowing he had heard the truth, and it was now in God’s hands to soften his heart to the truth of the gospel. 

By the end of the day, we were exhausted emotionally and physically—as usual. As it grew late, we took our baths and waited for dinner to be finished, sitting in companionable silence. So, I started to pray. I asked God to reveal himself to someone in the village. I asked him to soften the hearts of the chief and the other people we had talked to this evening and send us one who wanted to know more.

As we finished our dinner and began our nightly singing and dancing with the kids, someone came up to our translator, Mary, and told her someone wanted to know more about Jesus. This was unbeknownst to us as we were busy leading songs, but as it grew late, the kids went off to bed, and I struggled to keep my eyes open. Then Charlie walked up. Mary told us he was the one who wanted to know more about Jesus, and we recognized him. He was the nephew of the old woman who had sat quietly behind us during our story while his brother had asked all he questions and promised us he would come. So, we walked Charlie through the gospel, and he accepted Jesus into his heart right then and there. God not only had answered my prayer, but also had done so before I had even thought to pray it. 

He was overcome with happiness after making his decision and kept saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He knew he had finally found what he was missing. We have been sowing seeds widely in our village, praying that some would fall on fertile soil. It was an important lesson to learn that you never know who God is preparing for you. All we are called to do is go and tell.

It would be easy for God to have prepared the chief for us, but instead he has chosen people like Charlie. But just to show the sovereignty of God, we found out later Charlie is also our chief’s nephew and the son of the “big chief” in charge of seven villages in this region. God’s plan is not for us to understand, but we know it will bring him the most glory. So, while we are continuing to pray for the salvation of our chief, we are rejoicing in the decision of his nephew and asking God to strengthen him so that he might reach this village.

Rachel Scott, a student at the University of Texas in Austin, is serving with Go Now Missions in West Africa.

The devil has been successfully hitting me where I am weak—in the areas of my relationships, my self-image and my sensitivity. Not only have I been vulnerable, but I also felt separated and alone. Satan made me feel like I was trapped in a box where no one could see my pain or hear my cries, and I felt as if God was not there to deliver me.

Days went by, and my brain constantly was in fight-or-flight mode. It’s like my heart was on high alert from another worldly attack. I soon became content with these feelings where my old self would find a home—a place that the devil called home because it was full of walls that constantly were locking me in and Jesus out. The phrase “one step forward and two steps back” often appeared to be accurate in my case.

Every night I prayed, retraced my steps, prayed, retraced my steps. I prayed that I would get rid of what was distracting me in any way I could.

One night, I finally unlocked the door and let Jesus back in. Wow! It was a fresh start. A new day. A reset. I realized I was moving so fast, I had started leaving God behind.

One morning, I read about sin and suffering. The author said: “Suffering hurts more, but it will not last. Sin though, has consequences that last into eternity.” He continued, noting that we follow Jesus in suffering, but suffering isn’t the final word. Jesus’ resurrection leads the way to our own resurrection, and there is nothing Satan can do to stop it, he pointed out. That was encouraging. The devil promises freedom, but he delivers slavery and guilt. He convinces people to walk away from God and then condemns them for doing it, making them think God would never forgive them. Having the reminder that the battle is already won makes the small fights easier to win. I decided to use the suffering I was going through as motivation.

Romans 5:3-4 says, “But we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Hebrews 12:1 follows the same idea: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Carl, a member of the church here, texted me: “Sweet child of God, we may live in the world, but we are never alone.” I cried. I am not alone. You are not alone. Everyone sins, everyone struggles, everyone hurts. But God is sovereign over all of these hardships, and he delivers us. Every morning is a fresh start to turn from sin and cling closer to God.

Do you need a “reset” with God?

Danielle French is a student at University of North Texas, serving with Go Now Missions in McKees Rocks, Penn., near Pittsburgh, in a ministry focused on building relationships with children and and teens in the inner city.

God truly is strong when we are weak. It was a low day for me. I felt lonely, weak and bitter. I kept thinking about home, family and friends. I felt discouraged. But God’s word says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Thank the Lord for my national teammate, David. When our program for the day was cancelled, David came over so we could look for some ministry opportunities. Before he came and before we left, I prayed that God would glorify himself in whatever we did. I prayed that God would make himself known despite my weakness. 

Tim Williams, who is serving with Go Now Missions in Zambia, presents the gospel to members of a soccer team. (Go Now Missions Photo)We walked to a soccer field in town with the hope of starting a pick-up game and sharing the gospel with the group afterward. God had another plan. A few young teenagers were sitting on the sideline at the field. They told us a game would start soon, and they were preparing. I could not move the conversation further. I froze, not knowing what to say. After a few minutes of silence, David gathered them and gave biblical advice on how to be a Christian on the soccer field. Praises! I became unfrozen and shared the gospel using a soccer analogy. When we finished, one of the teenagers asked us to speak to his coach. We did not know where this would lead, but we agreed. We soon realized his coach was also the coach of a professional men’s soccer team, which had begun gathering at the field. They were to play against a team from Colombia on Sunday. Before they started practice, the coach allowed me to present the gospel to the entire team—30 or so men! Fantastic! 

Next, we then presented the gospel and offered a word of encouragement to a child watching a soccer game, a soldier on break from duty, a group of school youth (where I got to hold guinea pig), and a young man walking home. In almost every instance, I would have kept walking. However, David would not allow it. He said, “Let’s go talk to them. … How about them? … We should go to them.” He wanted me to do most of the talking, but he initiated the conversations, and that was all the push I needed. I was even able to encourage David with Isaiah 55:10-11 and the story of Jim Elliott. God used me despite my weakness.

Now, as I sit here in my room alone, there is no bitterness, loneliness or discouragement. I feel renewed. Few people in Zambia will admit they are not yet saved, even though we show them the falsehood of their salvation beliefs, but we are encouraged by Isaiah 55:10-11. When God’s Word is spoken, it always fulfills the purpose for which it is sent. 

Tim Williams is a student at the University of North Texas, serving in Zambia with Go Now Missions.

The week of the block party we had three mission teams here. Two were working on the church and the house where we are staying, and the third one was running the Vacation Bible School. When thinking about the block party the only way I can begin to describe it is with an Old Testament verse: “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything” (Ecclesiastes 11:5).

As I looked down at my paint-covered hands, I felt defeated. Rocks and paintbrushes had been ripped out of my hands, only to be started and left because the girls were over the craft. I was annoyed. I had put all of the time in getting the supplies, setting up and preparing during a week that was already exhausting. In that moment, I was ready to walk away. In fact, I did. I took my 10-minute break and walked away. I walked away from where God had placed me. In that moment, I was bitter and selfish. I wasn’t thinking about doing God’s work or about what he was doing. I was more worried about me. The reality is my view of the block party was behind a table where I was too concerned about my feelings to realize what God was doing.  

In spite of an initial “terrible attitude,” Jessica Barnett is convinced now that God is at work in McKees Rock, Penn.I failed to realize I was sitting at a table where I got to meet a majority of the kids who came to the block party. Yes, there were some who frustrated me to no end and ripped rocks out of my hand, but I made a lot of kids smile and feel loved. I don’t know what is going on in every kid’s life, and I never will know. I don’t know what God is always doing, and that is a good thing. 

I also failed to realize I went into the event with a terrible attitude. It thought: “This won’t be a ministry event. It is just us entertaining the community.” However, we had the whole community at this block party. We were loving on each and every person where they were. After loving on them, we were able to show them the reason we do everything. At the end of the block party we had 15 baptisms. 15 people professed their faith. How amazing is that?

God is moving in McKees Rocks. I don’t know exactly what God is doing, but he is working. I don’t know what he will have us do while we are still here, but he is working, just like Ecclesiastes 11:5 says, “You do not know the work of God who makes everything.”

Jessica Barnett, a student at the University of Texas, is serving with Go Now Missions in McKees Rock, Penn.

I’ve never felt so drained. I’ve never felt so exhausted. Yet I’m content. I feel at peace with the fact it is an honor to serve here and to build relationships. It is an honor to reflect Christ’s light onto all of these children, teens and adults. It is an honor to feel like I am about to collapse but still feel the Holy Spirit working in me, pushing me through it.

Danielle French’s ministry is focused on building relationships with children and and teens in the inner city.It is an honor spending the summer working my soon-to-be-shattered body, and slowly fill in the cracks. Fill in the cracks with laughter once the tears are shed. Fill in the cracks with tickle monsters when it’s time to put kids to bed. Fill in the cracks with the conversations that come after a girl gets heartbroken. Fill in the cracks with hugs from a child who was a stranger a week before. With quiet time when my body needs a break, and prayer when I start to lose hope. With smiles on once-broken faces I now get to see every day. With God telling me to keep going, to keep giving all I have like Paul did—to sacrifice my life because Jesus did for me.

Maybe I had to be completely broken apart so that I could be put back together with a life that has these people in it. Put together in a life where faith beats fear every time. Where hope beats defeat every time. Where peace beats worry every time. Where Jesus beats my pride every time.

Last week was the busiest so far, but also the best. So many things have happened. A team from Kentucky came to lead a Vacation Bible School we did from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. every day. While at the park, I had to break up two fights. A World Changers missions team was here all week remodeling the house where we are saying. We threw a block party Thursday night, so we were setting up all week for that. Every morning, we babysat until about 9 a.m., which meant getting up around 4 a.m. We also have to drive the church van around constantly to pick up and drop people off everywhere. Safe to say, we have always had something to do.

The week also was heartbreaking. Richard, a 12-year-old, caused the two fights I had to break up and got in a third one when I was not around. Seeing this side of him and how he handles certain things sincerely broke my heart. We did calm him down, though, and we had a discussion about heaven and God. I got to explain creation and the sin of man to him, but by the time I got to the Good News, he changed the subject. I am grateful for what I got to say though and hope I get to share more with him.

Another heartbreaking event is that multiple people committed suicide from the bridges in Pittsburgh, which is right down the road. Also, one of the girls here is going through a difficult time, losing the only friends she has. Another heartbreaking thing is that one of the girls from a nearby convenience store told me she is going to stop coming to church, because her mom said she doesn’t have to believe in God if she doesn’t want to. The heartbreaking part is that this girl is 13, and she has already been baptized, but she was never saved. She doesn’t truly believe in God and want to submit her life to him, but she was baptized because her friends were.

Heartwarming things happened, too. One night, 15 people got baptized! I also grew closer to some of the kids who aren’t in the church, and when they run up and hug me when they see me outside, it makes all my exhaustion disappear and motivates me. When I don’t want to keep going, but I manage to keep going to serve and be selfless anyway, those heavenly smiles are such a great reward.

In my Bible study the other day, the lesson focused on how Joshua wholly gave himself to the Lord. That is my motto, my motivation throughout the day. When I feel like stopping or giving up, I ask myself:  “Are you wholly giving yourself to the Lord?” Wow, does it change my perspective. I challenge you with this question: Are you wholly giving yourself to the Lord?

Danielle French is a student at University of North Texas, serving with Go Now Missions in McKees Rocks, Penn., near Pittsburgh, in a ministry focused on building relationships with children and and teens in the inner city.

Some things about living in an apartment complex in Arizona occupied by a significant number of immigrants and refugees is similar to life back home. Some things are different.These first days of our mission trip, we have been living in an apartment complex very similar to the one where I live at back home. It’s a two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, living room, bathroom and even a TV. The only difference is that I do not have as many distractions as I would in my apartment back home.

Another similarity that we have—and many of us have—is our neighbors, those people we see every morning and sometimes throughout the day. However, there are some slight differences with these neighbors. For example, they tend to dress in very vivid colors with different kind of fabrics. Also, they have a very strong accent, which means certain times we have a third guest that translates for us—something that does not happen very often back home.

We came here with the mindset of a “missionary.” For us, we think of it as an experience in which you prepare beforehand with more prayer, read the Bible, have more accountability and then proceed turn on your “missionary switch.” In other words, your life changes drastically—you can endure harder stuff, you greet the people that you see daily, you try new things and new kinds of clothing, you are in harmony while serving with your teammates, and you are obedient when working with your supervisors.

Don’t get me wrong. These are things that we can and should do if we are in Christ and his word abides in us. However, being a missionary and attempting to reach people makes us realize there is no such thing as a switch that you can turn on and off. The things that we do in our daily life and the intentions behind our actions are going to demonstrate whether we are abiding in the words of Christ and his commandments. We don’t have to do something extraordinary to have a missionary mindset. We simply must be faithful where we are living and glorifying God in our daily lives.

Brayant Lopez, a student at the University of Texas-El Paso, is serving with Go Now Missions in Phoenix, Ariz., in a ministry to refugees and immigrants. 

Although Mercy Midwives is a medically based mission, caring for laboring mothers, my teammates and I continually seek out opportunities not only to share God’s love through actions, but also to present the Good News of salvation.

On my first outreach since arriving, I visited the humble home of one mother who gave birth days before. We performed postnatal care on the mother and baby as neighborhood children began to come upon hearing the news of Americans visiting. They were quite amazed at how pale my teammates’ skin tones are.

We led an impromptu Bible study about Zaccheus to entertain the kids, but also to open the conversation about Christianity. They absolutely loved the children’s song and even memorized 1 John 4:8, “God is love.”

As the children continued to play with my American teammates, I saw the opportunity to share the gospel with the mother. She didn’t associate with a specific religion, but she knew about Christianity. I explained the Gospel plan of salvation to her, and she seemed very interested. She shyly told me she no longer had a Bible but would love to read one. I ended our visit by praying for her and her family. I will be visiting her and her family again soon, and I already have begun highlighting some verses in a Visayan Bible in her native language that I will give to her. 

Katherine Bautista is a nursing student from Angelo State University, serving this summer with Go Now Missions in the Mercy Midwives project in the Philippines.

Maria had never slept on what we would call a bed, bathed in what we would call a shower, or owned a cell phone. By the grace of God, she has been raising four kids in the midst of a challenging life that got exceedingly harder a year ago when her husband died of colon cancer. Her house was about 6 feet tall—three walls and a roof, each made of a single sheet of tin. Her home totaled about 35 square feet.

Maria’s world was completely flipped upside down recently. Casas Por Cristo is an organization that builds houses as a way of intentionally sharing the love of Christ for families in poverty throughout Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, as well as Juarez/Acuna, Mexico.

One Sunday morning, it was time for Pastor Heyson Edmundo Bhor to decide which family he had picked as the recipient of a new home. Usually, there are many families already on the waiting list. However, this time, Pastor Heyson did not have one in mind. So, he got on his knees and began to cry out to God to be clear which family the Lord wanted. A knock at the door interrupted his conversation with God. At the door was a woman who had heard he was involved with an organization that built houses and said her daughter-in-law, Maria, was in great need of this necessity.

The pastor went off to go see the family’s living area the next day. Here in this part of Guatemala, there are no addresses, and most families do not have a phone number to contact. Yet, this did not stop him. He got on his motorcycle and rode off. He felt the Spirit leading and continued along the road to a town called Los Ajuixes. He began asking the locals if they knew Maria. Everyone’s response was “no.” As he began to leave the town, he was beginning to lose hope, but individuals told the pastor to continue down the hill until it ended. Finally, he arrived and there was indeed a need for a home. It was beyond belief to see where Maria and her family were living.

Behind the scenes, God had sent a mission team from Fayetteville, Ga. The building process was a bit tough due to some rain. Nonetheless, after three days, a house complete with electricity and a porch was built. In addition, the team provided two beds, a water filter and other amenities to make the home as comfortable as possible.

At the house dedication, someone mentioned the oldest son had told his mom he had a dream his father who was in heaven was going to build them a house. And there he stood, on the porch of his new three-bedroom home. How beautiful the thought that both fathers—the deceased parent and the heavenly Father—were watching down to provide for the family.

We do not know where Maria is with her walk with God. The pastor connected with each family follows up to make sure the gospel continues to be conveyed. Please pray for Maria’s family and all the others who receive homes this summer to understand just how grand God’s provision is but more importantly, how grand God’s invitation is to be his daughter or son. 

Estefania Soto, president of the Baptist Student Ministry at the University of Texas-El Paso, is serving in Guatemala with Casas Por Cristo.